Native plants of the Canterbury foothills forests

Grown from seed collected from native remnants in the Oxford area.

Beech/tawhai is the most common native forest in the Canterbury foothills. Black beech/tawhairauriki (Fuscospora solandri) dominates the lower slopes, while mountain beech/tawhairauriki (Fucospora cliffortioides) is more prevalent at higher altitudes and on the more exposed harsh sites. Red beech/tawhairaunui (Fuscospora fusca) is also present, but is uncommon and found only in the Mt Grey area.

Podocarp species, such as kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydiodes), mataï (Prumnopitys taxifolia), and rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum) are also present on the poorly drained lower slopes and moist gullies where they mix with beech. The understorey is diverse, and consists of a wide range of shrubs, herbaceous plants and fern species. The more common shrubs include species of Coprosma/karamū, lancewood/horoeka, broadleaf/kāpuka (Griselinia littoralis), putaputāwëtā (Carpodetus serratus), wineberry/makomako (Aristotelia serrata), and other Pseudopanax species.

Regenerating forest is also a feature of the Canterbury foothills flora and is represented by broadleaf, kōwhai (Sophora microphylla), small-leaved Coprosma species, mountain wineberry (Aristotelia fruticosa), mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium), and kānuka (Kunzea serotina).

Southern rata (Metrosideros umbellata) is found sporadically, growing on bluffs and rock outcrops, especially in the Alford Forest.  

Species name and common name

R = rare
T = threatened

1. Aristotelia serrata makomako, wineberry
2. Astelia fragrans kakaha, bush lily
3. Carex buchananii matirewa, cutty grass
4. Carex dispacea
5. Carex tenuiculmis (R)
6. Carex uncintata
7. Carmichaelia torulosa (R)
8. Carpodetus serratus putaputäwëtä, marble leaf
9. Clematis paniculata
10. Coprosma ‘Taylorii’
11. Coprosma linariifolia yellow-wood
12. Coprosma lucida
13. Coprosma propinqua mingimingi
14. Coprosma rhamnoides
15. Coprosma robusta karamü
16. Coprosma rotundifolia
17. Coprosma virescens
18. Cordyline australis ti kōuka, cabbage tree
19. Dacrydium cupressium rimu
20. Elaeocarpus hookerianus pōkākā
21. Fucospora cliffortioides tawhairauriki, mountain beech
22. Fuscaspora fusca tawhairaunui, red beech
23. Fuscospora solandri tawhairauriki, black beech
24. Griselinia littoralis pāpāuma, broadleaf
25. Hebe salicifolia koromiko
26. Hebe traversii
27. Hoheria lyallii houhi, mountain ribbonwood
28. Melicope simplex poataniwha
29. Melicytus flexuosus
30. Metrosideros umbellata southern rātā, ironwood
31. Myrsine australis matipou, māpou
32. Myrsine divaricata weeping māpou
33. Olearia avicenniaefolia akeake
34. Phormium cookianum wharariki, mountain flax
35. Pittosporum eugenioides tarata, lemonwood
36. Pittosporum tenuifolium kōhūhu
37. Plagianthus regius mānatu, ribbonwood
38. Podocarpus laetus mountain tōtara
39. Prumnopitys ferruginea miro
40. Prumnopitys taxifolia mataī, black pine
41. Pseudopanax arboreus whauwhaupaku, five finger
42. Pseudopanax colensoi orihou, mountain five finger
43. Pseudopanax crassifolius horoeka, lancewood
44. Raukaua anomalus
45. Sophora microphylla köwhai
46. Zotovia avenacea

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Native plants of the Canterbury foothills forests (PDF, 2,496K)